Keeping the Little Buggers In Line

All great teachers know that a class won't run without a great management plan.  A lot of people have asked me what I do in my class, since it's always so well managed.  I will share with all the readers what I do- and of course, you're free to use my materials if you're interested!

1- All kids have a Z.O.M.B.I.E. binder.   ZOMBIE stands for Zealous Organization, Managing Behavior, Interactions Everyday.


Zealous Organization- This section of the binder is for homework, reading logs, and any important papers that go home to the parents, such as the lunch menu, the Eager Beaver (the school's monthly newsletter) or whatever else needs to go home each day.

Managing Behavior- This section of the binder is for our daily behavior logs.  I fill them out at the end of each day, simply marking an X on the category that applies to the child.

Daily Interactions-  I have a final section in the binder, where I keep a personal dialogue journal with the kids.  They write in it each morning, and I come around at the end of the day and read it with them.  I simply put a little smiley on it when I read it with them.  I will write more about that later in this post.

 You can download the cover of my Z.O.M.B.I.E Binder for yourself.

2- I have a Magnet Chart, which I have on one side of my white board.  Each child has a magnet with their number on it.  It is moved up and down throughout the day, depending on how they are doing following our classroom rules and expectations. It's a great system!  And, I created this cute one for this year that goes perfectly with our Zombie theme! Kids who are on "Hot Shit" at the end of the day, get to pick a treat from my grab bag.  I use the information on the magnet chart to record in their Daily Behavior Log.

As you can see, my daily behavior log allows for me to really let parents know where their kids are at in terms of behavior.  The parents and I have excellent conversations through this system.  They only need to sign the sheet if the behavior is Not So Hot or Totally Screwed.  The important thing is to also write notes when a child has a good day, not just a bad day!

3- Finally, I have interactions everyday. At the end of the day, I have a silent reading time.  During that time, I go around to each child's desk and read their Dialogue Journal. (They usually only write a few sentences.)  I get to each child and do a verbal check-in, a short conversation, or simply take a minute to talk to them about anything they want to tell me.  It's a great way to connect with your students! I get tons of hugs that way... it's the nicest part of my day!